Commercial Financial Controller

Our client is a London-based specialist private credit fund deploying capital across SME cashflow, asset-backed, forward flow and platform lending strategies. The business operates across a diverse and evolving portfolio of transactions, requiring a high degree of judgement and flexibility in how deals are structured, executed and managed. Our client forms part of a wider group of related businesses.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Commercial Financial Controller (FC) will support the CFO in the development and oversight of the finance function across a growing and increasingly complex group of businesses, including lending, brokerage and real estate activities.

The role will take primary responsibility for the delivery of finance across the Group, combining strong financial control with commercial analysis, oversight of complex transactions and assets, and management of key external relationships.

Operating with a high degree of independence, the Financial Controller will be expected to drive finance outputs, provide meaningful insight into performance and risk, and reduce reliance on the CFO in the day-to-day running of the finance function.

ROLE

The Commercial FC will be responsible for:

Control, Reporting, and Communication

• Leading and running the finance function across the Group, taking full responsibility for finance delivery, outputs and performance and operating with a high degree of independence from the CFO.
• Delivering Board and investors reporting with full ownership of content and narrative, including interpretation of performance, key drivers, risks and trends.
• Own and lead the audit process, acting as the primary point of contact for auditors and taking responsibility for audit delivery.
• Lead day-to-day engagement with key external stakeholders, including advisers, lenders and service providers, managing relationships and deliverables.
• Own the delivery of all tax, regulatory and statutory obligations, ensuring technical accuracy, timeliness and completeness across the Group.
• Lead financial delivery on development activities, including bank drawdowns, covenant compliance, monitoring surveyor interactions and coordination with lenders and developers.
• Own forward-looking financial planning, including cash flow forecasting, liquidity management and scenario analysis, to support decision-making.
• Drive the development of systems, controls and reporting, identifying and implementing improvements to support a growing and increasingly complex business.
• Operate as the senior point of responsibility for finance delivery, exercising independent judgment resolving issues and reducing reliance on CFO involvement in day-to-day finance matters.

Portfolio Analysis

• Drive commercial portfolio analysis across the Group, including by deal, borrower, investor, providing clear insight into returns, exposures and performance.
• Take day-to-day ownership of the financial management of the Group’s hotel business, including reporting, statutory accounts, tax coordination and external accountants.

New Deal Support

• Play a central role in lending decisions, including review and challenge of deal structures, financial models, covenant implications and return assumptions.

Background

• Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA or equivalent).
• Strong technical grounding in financial reporting, tax and audit with sound judgement.
• Commercially minded, able to interpret financial performance, risk and returns.
• Operates independently, taking ownership of outputs and resolving issues.
• Confident engaging with senior stakeholders, including auditors, advisers and lenders.
• Proactive and solution-focused, able to identify issues and deliver outcomes.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to understand the wider business context.
• Comfortable working across multiple business lines, including lending and development.
• Clear and effective communicator of financial information.
• High levels of integrity, discretion and professionalism.
• Experience in asset management, private credit or similar environments, including exposure to multi-entity structures, lending and complex or asset-backed transactions will be of value.

Culture & Environment

• Analytical and performance driven.
• Entrepreneurial rather than institutional.
• Flat in structure with high ownership.
• Office based to maximise collaboration.

Who Will Thrive At Our Client

• Wants to take ownership of finance outputs, not just produce them.
• Seeks to understand how the business generates returns.
• Challenges assumptions in deals and performance.
• Makes decisions with imperfect information.
• Resolves issues without default escalation.
• Operates comfortably across lending, operating and development activities.

Salary on offer will be dependant upon experience.